The relationship between compassion fatigue and levels of depression, anxiety, and stress in nurses: A multicenter cross-sectional study

Aim This study aimed to investigate the relationship between compassion fatigue and depression, anxiety, and stress levels in nurses. Method This research is a multicenter, cross-sectional study. The study was conducted with 283 nurses in three state hospitals in northeastern Turkey using a purposive sampling method. Research data were collected by the researchers using a Demographic Form, the Compassion Fatigue Scale (CFS), and the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21). Descriptive statistics, normality assessment, one-way ANOVA, t -tests, Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analysis were performed using SPSS 26 software. Results A total of 283 nurses participated in the study. The mean CFS score was 83.97 ± 13.76, while the mean DASS-21 scores were 8.05 ± 4.10 for depression, 4.89 ± 2.97 for anxiety, and 9.22 ± 4.32 for stress. Correlation and regression analyses revealed a strong positive correlation between compassion fatigue and depression (r = 0.574, p < 0.001), a moderate positive correlation with anxiety (0.349, p < 0.001), and a strong positive correlation with stress (0.583, p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis revealed that depression, stress, male gender, working as a nursing education specialist, and job dissatisfaction were variables significantly associated with compassion fatigue. Conclusion Based on these results, it is necessary to evaluate compassion fatigue in nurses in conjunction with psychological factors as well as individual and professional characteristics. Furthermore, it is important to support nurses' psychological health, develop strategies to address compassion fatigue, and increase individual resilience.